


Just a dream...

by orphan_account



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Multi, gender neutral reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22827136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Random inspiration after When Vampires Go Bad. Spoilers for the event. How do the boys feel about MC's dream? How does MC feel? Seven parts for seven brothers. No promises on when these will go up, I just happened to be inspired and haven't written fic in ages. But this damn game has invaded my mind (and my wallet, fuck).Basically, what happens to fantasy when you wake up and have to face reality? Lots of emotions, that's what. Fluff, angst, confusion.
Relationships: Asmodeus (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Beelzebub/Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Belphegor (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Leviathan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Lucifer (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader, Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader
Comments: 34
Kudos: 316





	1. Prologue: Awake

Prologue: Awake.

You startled awake, sitting up abruptly, nearly headbutting Mammon in the process. He had been leaning over you and the proximity shocked you even more after that dream. Your hand came up defensively, palming his forehead and pushing him backwards as you stood. Mammon was the only one close enough to touch you.

Now you could see that he was behind the couch, saying "Hey!" as he ruffled his bangs back into place. A quick scan around the room tallied the other occupants, who were now all staring at you. Belphie and Levi were sitting at the table nearby and Asmo was across from you on the other couch... Your eyes lingered on Asmo as a flash of the dream bloomed in your mind. That lustful, yet threatening stare... 

"MC, are you all right?" Asmodeus cocked his head slightly, concern creasing his otherwise flawless expression. 

"Y-yes. Fine. Fine." You repeated, trying to convince yourself of the words. It was just a dream. Did you really want that? Or was the reality of this dangerous place finally seeping into your subconscious? It was easy to pretend that this was just like school, just like your life in the human world. Easy and necessary. If you dwell too long on the reality of living with demons... But oddly enough, life in the House of Lamentation had been as much fun as it was dangerous. You had made real friendships with these guys, hadn't you? And maybe even more... That mix of pleasure and fear... was that where the dream came from?

"Did you have a nightmare?" Belphie's calming voice pulled you back to the present. 

"I... I'm not sure... Maybe? I can't quite recall now..." You knew that dreams faded quickly from the mind sometimes, and while this one wasn't going anywhere any time soon, they didn't need to know that. 

"Was it something you ate? I've heard that bad food can cause nightmares." Beelzebub came into the room, drawn by the commotion of Mammon's shouting. He had heard Belphie's question and put the rest together.

When your eyes fell on him, a shiver slipped through you. Not enough to make your body shake, but just enough to remind you of the fear you had felt under the starving eyes of the dream-Beel. You had never really been afraid he would eat you, but...

"Maybe. I think I just need to go to my bed." You smiled a little bit too wide, and gathered your homework - the culprit of your impromptu nap, and hurried out of the room. 

Behind you, the brothers all exchanged looks with each other. 

"Humans are so weird." Mammon sighed, turning away, but still failing to hide how his eyes trailed after you.

"Do you think it was a nightmare?" Levi asked Belphie.

"Obviously. And not just any nightmare, it was about us." Belphie nodded, but his eyes didn't move from Beel, who was now watching the floor. 

"Us?" Mammon turned back to Belphie.

"Yes. Although given everything they've been through here, it's not surprising." Belphegor was well acquainted with sleep in all its forms. He knew what restful sleep looked like, and your eyes moved too rapidly under their lids for that. And yet, it wasn't a violent nightmare either. He would have woken you up if he had sensed that, but clearly the dream had disturbed you enough to cause you to run out, giving Beel an unnecessarily wide berth.

"Ahhh! That's no good at all! MC should only have pleasant dreams, especially about me!" Asmodeus whined, crossing his arms and legs, as he replayed the wide-eyed stare you had given him. Asmodeus knew the precarious line between desire and fear, and as the Avatar of Lust, he walked it very carefully. Fear could be useful in arousal, but there was a tipping point that soured the whole experience. Mutual lust was the most powerful kind of lust, and the look you gave him didn't have nearly enough desire in it. He pouted, thinking it over and adding, "The rest of you are the nightmares."

"What?! You shut your face, pretty boy. If anyone is giving MC the best dreams, it's obviously going to be the Great Mammon, Avatar of Greed and second-" Mammon started to shout, but was quickly cut off by a pillow to the face.

"So what do we do? If they're afraid of us for whatever reason, what's the best course of action?" Levi held a second pillow in his hand, glaring momentarily at Mammon, before looking questioningly at Belphie. Levi didn't think it was smart to sleep out in the open like that anyway, and if a nightmare convinced you to keep to the safety of your room, all the better. But... he still didn't like the idea that he might've done something to scare you, even in a dream. If this were a manga, like the amazing I'm a Youthful Student Who Fell Asleep and Woke Up in an Alternate Reality and Need My Boyfriend to Come Fight His Dream Double to the Death, he could just jump into your dream and beat that Dream Levi up and rescue you. But reality was so much more complicated...

Although normally prone to louder outbursts when he was being ignored, Mammon waited, wanting to hear what Belphegor had to say. His head still buzzed with the touch of your hand, and the flash of fear he had caught in your eyes. There was plenty to be afraid of in the Devildom, but he didn't want to ever be one of the sources of your fear. He had been your first, and he wanted to always be the one you could call on no matter what was happening. 

"That depends on what their dream was actually about. I doubt they'll tell us. What's important here is that we don't crowd around MC. That will just make things more uncomfortable." Belphie shrugged, his eyes lingering on Beel. The taller twin was frowning deeply. Beel had noticed the way you moved around him and Belphie had noticed the effect your skittishness had on him. Regardless of what the others did, Belphie would be talking to you privately soon. He wouldn't let a dream hurt either you or his brother. 

Beel, for his part, was used to people being afraid of him. Just his height and size was enough to make the hardiest demon think twice. Add that to his reputation of being voraciously hungry at all times (not to mention being Lucifer's personal bodyguard), and he understood all too well why you would be afraid of him. He just thought that you had gotten to know him well enough by now that maybe you could trust him...? 

No one would be getting restful sleep tonight.


	2. Lucifer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avatar of Pride sucks at emotions, who knew? Warnings for fluff and angst and pro-Luci content. This is sympathetic fluff Luci. He's sweet on my home screen, and he'll be sweet in my writing. (For now, I mean, I am a Luci stan, but for now, he's my sweet broken boy).

"MC." 

You nearly drop your drink on the floor, when you hear Lucifer call to you. You thought you had done a good job of avoiding him all day, but lingering in the kitchen had been your mistake. Wasn't he supposed to be in a meeting with Lord Diavolo? You thought you overheard him discussing his schedule with the angels. You turn towards his voice and see that he's standing at the end of the long prep table in the middle of the kitchen, the length of the table between you.

"Yes, Lucifer?" You bring your glass back up to your lips, and tell yourself that you're not using it to hide from one of the Devildom's most powerful demons. 

"Have you been avoiding me?" His question is as direct as his stare, leaving no room to squirm out of the situation with a vague answer. You could lie, but the thought made you tired, and you were already exhausted from your day of reverse-stalking. 

"Yes." You set your glass down on the table and try to mirror his straight forward attitude. Apparently he wasn't expecting that, as his eyes widened with surprise. There was a moment, a slight faltering as he opened his mouth, but the words failed to come out. Then he regained himself.

"May I ask why?"

What could you say? A handful of answers moved through your head. 

I fell behind on my tasks.  
I spilled bat blood on my uniform and can't get it out.  
I'm... scared of you. 

"I'm scared of you." You mumble almost inaudibly, but he hears you regardless.

"I don't fault you in your logic for that, but that's never stopped you before." His eyes cool, as if he's expecting this, as if somehow, this answer is the most comfortable for him, the most predictable. But he presses on, an odd curiosity lighting his eyes. "Did something change?"

_...just a bit each and every night..._

"I had a... a strange dream." Was it a bad dream? Even the parts that were exciting? Did you feel guilt or shame about your excitement? Or just fear. It all blended together until avoiding the demon in front of you was the only thing you could manage to get through your day. Confusion made your stomach ache and your blood race with anxiety. 

"A dream?" Lucifer repeated the words, almost indignant. How many times had he shown you his demonic side, only for you to stand brazenly in his way regardless? And now a dream was what struck fear into your heart and not even his true self?

"You... didn't stop."

It takes him less than a second to put together the scene from those three scattered words.

"I see." He says after a moment. "I can arrange to have you moved immediately. You may have to room with one of the angels, but I have no doubt they will be gracious about it. In fact, I can probably have them move in together. I'll contact Lord Dia-"

"I don't want to move." You say suddenly, alarmed by how quickly he's created plans.

He looks back at you, surprised, "I... suppose I can move. It will only be a few months more before you go back to the human world anyway. I'll contact Lord Dia-"

"Just stop!" You almost shout at him. "I don't want anyone to move."

"I don't understand." The initial surprise at the tone of your voice is quickly masked over with a carefully blank expression.

"I just... it was just a dream. I'll get over it. I just need some time." You wave your hand, feeling silly and immature all at once. What were you doing? It was just a dream. 

"Dreams are rooted in real fears and I would say that dream does not need an interpreter."

"Would you do it?" You ask him suddenly.

"No." His voice is firm but immediate. No overreacting, no feigned hysterics. Just a simple answer. 

"Okay then. Then we don't need to move. I just need some time to process." You stammer.

He agrees to give you time, space, whatever you need. Lucifer schedules more meetings and events for himself outside of the house. You rarely see him in the dorm hall anymore, and never alone. He's so careful. So precise. It's almost eerie how good he is at avoiding you, especially when you still live in the same house. As for you, life goes on, classes continue, demonic mishaps keep happening with Mammon and the others. But you feel the emptiness where Lucifer's focused intensity was. You realize you miss him, and the space he's given you has just become another round of the avoidance you tried to give him. You would have to confront him somehow.

MC: Will you be at the House tonight? I'd like to talk to you alone. 

He replies in less than a minute.

L: Is that prudent? 

Annoyance strikes you, and you send a sticker back of an irritated monster.

MC: This isn't working. This isn't resolving anything.

L: I didn't think resolution was the objective. 

MC: What did you think?

L: That this would kill time until you went back to the human world.

MC: And you would be okay with that?

L: This isn't a matter of what I would be okay with. My objective is make sure the rest of your stay here is as stress free as possible.

MC: Someone wasn't paying attention to our human psychology class. There are different kinds of stress. Some stress is good.

L: If you would presume to offer me tutoring lessons, I would certainly take you up on that. However, keep in mind that the class wasn't called human psychology, it was human corruption.

MC: Let's start with a talk, and go from there.

L: Very well. Choose the time and place, and I'll be there. 

You considered a variety of locations, but ultimately landed on Lucifer's room. He again asked you if that was prudent, and you told him he sounded like an old man when he talked like that. Eventually, he agreed to meet you. Part of the reasoning was for you; you would face your fear, you would prove to yourself that nothing would happen. And the other part was just practicality. You had no doubt Lucifer would ensure privacy, no matter how curious his brothers were.

"MC. Please, come in." Lucifer opens the door wide for you, standing back to allow you to pass. 

"Why is there a skeleton in your room?" You ask as you walk through the door. You had always wanted to ask, but never felt comfortable. Now you were too uncomfortable not to ask.

"Are you familiar with the phrase Memento Mori?" Lucifer closes the door and moves away from it, walking past you to sit at the far side of the room next to the fireplace. A game of chess waits on the table, all the pieces reset at their starting positions.

You almost choked. Things were off to a banging start. "Something about the inevitability of death?"

"Yes. It can either be a freeing sentiment, or one of bleak despair. Or all together meaningless, as some burdens outlast death. Some things you must always carry with you, regardless." He smiled faintly at the statue and some self-deprecating joke he only told himself.

"That's... depressing." Even more so that the man would create a monument to this philosophy and put it in his bedroom. But then again, you really only knew a fraction of his history.

"Is it? We can move on then. What did you want to talk about?" He smiled, his eyes closing briefly in that look of banal pleasantness that said you could spin any story you wanted to and he would go along with it. 

"I'd like things to go back to how they were." You walked towards him, determination steeling your steps, as you took the seat across from him.

"How exactly?"

"You don't need to be out of the house so much. You don't need to avoid me." You were becoming more aggressive in response to his passivity. It wasn't like him and it bothered you.

"What if I'm not avoiding you? What if this is simply how my schedule usually is?" He waved a hand in a loose circle.

"Then why were you around so much before?" You ask the question moments before your brain clicks the puzzle pieces together. He was around for you. "Oh. Well, still. There's no way your schedule was so coincidentally busy that we would never see each other."

"Perhaps. The truth is, there's always something that needs my attention in RAD. It's not hard to be busy." He shrugged dismissively. 

"I want you to be around more."

"Even with your dream?"

"The dream was... confusing. Some parts were exciting... some weren't. But I won't let a dream dictate my reality." You meet Lucifer's stare, clinging to your stubbornness to resolve everything tonight. 

Lucifer's expression remained masked. "What do you want, MC?"

"I want to trust you."

The words shattered his mask in a moment, as he looked simultaneously embarrassed and annoyed. "You shouldn't want that at all. Trusting a demon? You aren't even paying attention to your classes, are you?"

"You want me to trust you. You wouldn't have done all this if you didn't."

He looked away first. The tension in the air was unbearable, but you would see this through.

"I don't know how to create the trust you need. I've never felt this way... maybe ever. But certainly not with a human before. You're baffling to me in many ways..." Lucifer's words trailed off as he spoke, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable for a few moments, before pining you with a serious stare, "But I swear on my life, and as the Avatar of Pride, I will never use my strength against you, in coercion or violence."

You feel the weight of his oath in the atmosphere, binding the words to reality. It's electric, and you wonder if it's actual magic, or just how he is. You know what oaths mean to him and what he'll do to keep them. You feel relieved for a moment. 

"Although it was a dream, allow me to take responsibility for my actions."

Alarm and embarrassment struck you in equal measures, "Lucifer, you don't have to-"

But he was already standing. An astonishing number of weapons suddenly appeared in the room. Whips, crops, chains, - was that a mace?

"Lucifer, what?" You stood up as well, watching him stride by you.

"It's penance." Lucifer did not explain but you understood, and wondered how someone so cunning could still be so stupid.

Of course he thought this would fix things. Pain was one of the primary currencies in the Devildom, and how could it not be when the Avatar of Greed himself was always paying his debts with it. You started to shake your head, when you realized Lucifer had stripped off his complicated jacket and was already pulling off his tie and dress shirt. You looked away, and then back, and then away again. You didn't have a complete grasp of what was happening, but why did it have to happen like this?

"You don't have to do it yourself. Barbatos would gladly step in for you and do a thorough job of it." Lucifer says to you calmly. 

"Of what? What do you want to get by doing this?" You gesture wildly with both arms, wishing you could stop the unholy idiocy that was compelling him right now.

"Even if I didn't commit the same actions as I did in your dream, I still set into motion the fears that would cause such a dream to come about."

Shock roiled through you, as you realized he felt guilty. Not just about the dream, but about everything that had come before. In the chasm of silence, Lucifer finished stripping down to his waist. He had grabbed a crimson strip of fabric from somewhere and was tying it around his head, covering his eyes. He was committed to this penance, regardless of how you felt. Wasn't that just like him? You could feel your DDD in your pocket, and knew Barbatos was one of the contacts preprogrammed into the device. The thought made you recoil. This wasn't what you wanted. You looked back at Lucifer.

He was somehow still intimidating, on his knees and shirtless. After he finished tying the bright red strip of fabric around his eyes, he placed his hands behind his back, broadening his shoulders, and pushing out his chest. He waited there, as still as a statue. 

It's surreal and astounding, seeing him in a position of vulnerability, even one that's self-imposed. But that's his sense of pride... You realize you could do anything to him, because that's how much he needs to prove that he is not a dream or a nightmare. He's himself, no more or less. You slowly step towards him, knowing that you can't waste the gift he's offering. That even if you don't need this apology, he needs this redemption and he's willing to bleed for it. Nothing in the room appeals to you, because you know he can take anything you can dish out. The brightest angel of heaven, the cruelest demon in hell. Every object in the room is a toy, except for you. You kneel in front of him, you run your fingers across his blindfold, across his eyes that hold and command the attention of every demon in the Devildom. You will give your own punishment. Your hand trails across his shoulder, and he's warm to the touch, almost hot. You trace the muscles and bones, following his clavicle until you come across an unusually smooth sliver of skin.

A scar. You inspect the silvery tissue more closely, and realize there are several. Your heart catches in your chest, as you recall his reaction to the open jacket picture of himself at a beach. A moment of leisure, but one that could have revealed so much of what he kept locked away. You want to tell him that he doesn't have to do this. He doesn't have to show you these parts of himself. But you know as well that if you refuse to look when he's opened himself up to you that that would be more damning than the pain of it. So you look, touch, and feel what he went through, what he carries with him every day. The war, the death, the responsibility, you can even feel the failure etched into the tension of his muscles that he's still trying to hide. You want to give him mercy, relief from the exposure of your prying eyes and hands. But you can't.

"Show me everything." You surprise even yourself with the demand, but how many times had Lucifer thrown his demon form at you in intimidation? You wanted to see, up close, what it was like.

You could see his brow knit together, could almost feel the heat of his red eyes glaring under the blindfold, resistance carving itself across his features. You both knew this was the test of this new relationship, how much of himself was he really willing to give? Only the parts that he approved for you? Or everything?

"As you wish." 

The transformation was as abrupt as ever. One moment he was Head of the Student Council, and the next he was the Morning Star. Even as a demon, there was an unearthly beauty about him. One that you might've called angelic, before you knew him. You rubbed your forefinger against the diamond pattern imprinted on his skin, surprised by how smooth it was, like glass. You slid your hands back through his hair, finding the base of his horns, fingers grazing the spots where they connected and your touch was met with a slight shake of his head.

"Are they sensitive?" You pull back, concerned. 

"No. I am simply not accustomed to anyone touching me so casually." His words were halting, trying too hard to carry the aloofness he shielded himself with, that was all but absurd here.

"Casual?" You repeat, then realize you have one hand on his bare shoulder to brace yourself after he moved, and the other was still reaching up to touch his horns. You're leaning into him, but even that doesn't feel casual. It feels intimate. It feels like trust. "You can tell me to stop. If you don't like it..."

"It's not that. It's... strange."

You knew what he meant. The inner conflict, the fear. Words were pitiful next to feelings. You traced the spiral ridges of his horns following them out, all the way to the tips. Behind him, his wings flexed, betraying a nervousness that was not visible in the stillness of his body. You wanted to touch them, to feel if they were soft or rough, to wrap yourself up in that darkness. Instead, you reached behind him, carefully undoing the knot he had tied almost ridiculously tight, all the while still pressed against him. When you finally pulled the fabric free, he looked at you, that same curiosity, wondering what you would do next, wondering how he would handle it.

"Thank you."

"For what?" He looks at you, confused. 

"For this."

"This was barely anything. You didn't do anything." He shook his head, his hands still behind his back, still expecting some kind of punishment.

"Then why are you flustered?"

"I am not flustered." He stressed the word, glaring at you with that familiar exasperation. Behind him, his wings ruffled in irritation.

You laugh, pleased by his reaction and surprised to see it extend to his wings. Annoying him would be twice as fun now. 

"MC..." His expression became serious, and you sobered immediately, "You'll tell me, if something happens. If I scare you."

His words, although lacking a question mark, were less of an order than they were a plea. "Yes, Lucifer. I'll tell you, and you'll stop."

This time, it was his turn to thank you. 

(OOC: Yeah, jumping up and offering yourself up to torture isn't the most romantic or realistic notion, but he's a demon so his judgment is just bad when it comes to these things, plus, I think he can still be a dumb boy full of dumb gestures. Was this just an elaborate excuse for five seconds of horn porn? Maybe).


	3. Mammon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Round 2: Mammon. This feels like a hard left from the previous story, so hopefully it still works. Can we all just talk about how sweet this man is? Warnings for depressed/stressed MC. No continuation from the previous chapter.

"MC! Heyyyy! MC wake up! You're going to be late for class!" Mammon banged on the door repeatedly. He could hear you moving around and knew you were up, but if you wanted to pretend to be asleep, he could play that game. "C'mooonnnn. Everyone has already left!" Well, that wasn't true. He had kicked everyone out of the house. Which also wasn't exactly true. 

Lucifer had already left for a meeting. Mammon had given Beel two unlimited breakfast vouchers to Hell's Kitchen if he would leave early and take Belphie with him. The older twin was last seen carrying out the younger one in a sleeping bag, slung over his shoulder. Three, four and five were harder to get rid of. He had to promise to stake out a ticket sale line two weeks in advance for an exclusive Sucre Frenzy concert for Leviathan. Satan wanted an "unknown favor to be cached in at a time of his choosing" and Asmo... well, that wasn't hard, just annoying. Asmo wanted to know all the juicy details of Mammon's alone time with MC. Seeing as how there weren't going to be any juicy details, Mammon didn't think twice to agreeing.

"Everyone's left?! It's not that late is it?" You swing the door open and nearly run right into Mammon. 

"Whoa, whoa. It's not late. They just had other stuff to do. I didn't see ya yet, and I didn't wanna leave without, y'know making sure you were up. I am supposed to be protectin' ya and all." Mammon held his hands up, taking a step back to give both of you space.

You sigh, relieved, before a burst of anger came, "Then why did you say I was going to be late?"

"'Cause you weren't saying anything. How was I supposed to know you were already up and ready?" Mammon gestured at your school uniform and the half open bag slung around your shoulder.

"You scared me half to death! I can't be late, Mammon. Those little shadow demons with the forks are menacing!"

"The attendance imps? They're just annoying." Mammon shrugged. He was constantly being hounded by them and it really wasn't a big deal.

"To you! I'm human, Mammon. I can't be stabbed by a pitch fork and go about my day!"

"It's really more like a dinner fork." Mammon frowned.

"Either way!" You snap at him.

"All right, all right. Let's go then. I'll walk with ya, and if any attendance imps come near ya, I'll kick 'em back into the void."

"Fine." You close your eyes, not wanting to argue with him. You feel a distant warmth, like the sun in winter, reminding you that it can still reach you, even here in a desert of ice. Was it because of Mammon? Because he offered to protect you? Even as a joke, it was a relief...

"Did you eat?"

"Not hungry." You shrug. Breakfast was your most skipped meal even before you began living with a demon who could eat for an army. 

"All right. Take this at least." He hands you a thin black thermos. "Gotta stay hydrated."

You smile at that, and open the thermos, pleased with the heat of the drink as it helps wake you up. You follow Mammon out of the house and walk next to him, taking a roundabout and somewhat meandering path to the main campus.

"So, what's going on?" Mammon asks after a few minutes of walking. 

"What do you mean?" You reply reflexively. You knew he would ask eventually. Out of all of them, Mammon had consistently been there when you needed him, in his own dramatic, put-upon fashion. It was confusing at first, how he made such a big deal out of what a burden you were to him, but still escorted you to every class, and waited for you outside of the ones you didn't share with him. And, even though it was a scheme on Levi's part, Mammon did you give the first pact. You didn't want to admit it, but the Devildom was frightening, and having the pact with Mammon... it made you feel a little safer. You wondered if he knew that. 

"Don't play dumb games with me, human. I'm the master of dumb games!"

You put a hand up to cover your mouth and turn away, hiding your laughter.

"Hey! That's not what I meant! You know what? Forget it. Whatever." Mammon started to speed up.

"No, wait!" You grab his sleeve and he stops, looking back at you. His eyes are too intense, there's too much concern in them now. He's worried about you. "I... I'm just not sleeping well. I'm having weird dreams."

"Weird dreams?"

"Yeah. Like I have no control over anything... I guess I don't, really, not here. And it's something that I've been avoiding thinking about. But for humans... we just can't avoid how we feel, so even if I don't want to think about it, my dreams will make me think about it. It's a vicious cycle." You sigh, shaking your head, dropping your hand from his arm. 

"For someone who has no control, you're making a hell of a lotta chaos around ya." Mammon smiles, trying and failing to make the joke land.

"I don't mean to..."

"Hey, hey, hey." Mammon's eyes widen, realizing that he's struck a nerve. "Let's not worry about that now. I mean, if you're having trouble sleepin' we can figure something out."

You sigh, but nod. This was your problem. Mammon couldn't really do anything about the content of your dreams after all. That was something you had to figure out all on your own, confusing and frightening as it was. 

For the rest of the day, Mammon is always by your side. It almost feels like the first day of classes, the way he stays right with you and makes sure you have everything you need. But it's not the first day. It's better. It's so much more comfortable. You know each other better now, you have inside jokes with each other. He knows what you like from the coffee hut on campus, and you know that he never has a pencil on him for in-class work. You support each other in these easy, seamless ways, and it feels like you've always been like this. When classes are done for the day, you walk back to the House of Lamentation together. He invites you back to his room to go over the homework for the day, and you look at him in shock.

"You want to get started on homework? Right now? Right away?" You're genuinely surprised.

"Well yeah. I mean, you do, don'tcha? What? Maybe I'm tryin' to be a better student." Mammon is in front of you, leading the way up the stairs to his room.

"Oh... okay." You're still a little unsure about this, but you follow him anyway. When you open up the first assignment, you're surprised to see Mammon actually filling out the worksheet. You're surprised at how much he paid attention in class. You don't have to drag him through each assignment or constantly remind him about what was said in the lectures. You were a little dumbfounded. Where was this Mammon hiding the rest of the time?

"Is that all of it?" Mammon asks flipping through his notebook to see if he had missed an assignment.

"Yeah. That was fast. You're... you're really smart."

Mammon scoffs, "What does that mean? 'Course I am."

"Then why don't you..." You let the question trail off. 

"'Cause it's boring." Mammon answered bluntly, reaching behind him and pulling off a wall panel to reveal a small metal door behind it, "Are ya thirsty?"

"Is that a secret fridge?"

"Yep. Don't tell anyone. Beel will be raiding it constantly if he finds out. The guy broke into Lucifer's study once, just to get a poison apple from his desk." Mammon handed you a can from the fridge.

"Are they really poisonous? What do those even taste like?" 

"Like apples, duh." Mammon gives you a dry stare. "They would poison you, so don't try one. Lucifer just likes them because he's a sadist, and they're filled with malicious intent."

"A sadist, huh?" You already knew that, but your dream had driven the point home. It was too easy to imagine Lucifer as a merciless vampire who would keep you forever as a personal blood bag. And then still make you go to classes on top of that! Truly sadistic. 

"What was your dream about?" Mammon's voice is completely neutral, and you don't hear the warning in it at all.

"Being weak... Lucifer told me I was weak, and then he proved it." The words barely left your mouth, when you felt a rush of movement by you.

Mammon was already on his feet, his leathery bat wings bursting out of his back violently. 

"Mammon, no! It was just a dream!" You scramble up to your feet, but he's already several feet away. So fast. He's out of the room before you can take your first step and by the time you reach the door, he's already down the hallway. You run after him, barely aware of anything else. You see him stop in front of Lucifer's door, rearing back on one leg. He kicks the door in before you can even blink.

You don't even realize words have left your mouth when you shout, "Mammon, sit!" You can feel the electricity of the pact ricochet between you, a battle of wills that lasts only a few seconds, before Mammon collapses onto the ground. 

"Damn it! MC, let me go!" Mammon curses, struggling against the invisible binding.

You finally reach the door, and when you look inside your heart turns to ice in its chest. Lucifer is sitting on the far side of the room, by the fire, with his chess set in front of him. Across from him is Lord Diavolo. Lucifer is already angry, but Diavolo is watching you with an amused smile.

"G-good evening!" You stammer as you reach under Mammon's arms and start to drag him backwards, out of the room. "Sorry to disturb you! Just a slight disagreement. Please keep playing. I'll fix the door later. Thank you, goodbye." You're babbling, but you can't help it. Mammon is heavy, and he doesn't want to go, becoming deadweight in your arms as you continue to drag him down the hallway. 

"This isn't over! I'm gonna let him know he doesn't get to just do whatever he wants!" 

"Just shut up, get on your stupid feet, come on!" You start to lift Mammon up, and to your surprise, he pulls himself up. Glancing down the hallway you see Lucifer's gloved hand coming out of the room, gripping the broken door Mammon had kicked. Nope. Not dealing with that right now. Maybe ever. You grab Mammon's hand and run down the hallway, trying to map a way out of the house. After a few minutes of aimless running, Mammon takes the lead and you quickly find yourselves outside in the garden. 

"You idiot!" You gasp, trying to catch your breath, "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with you! You can't just hide in your room all day, keepin' this stuff to yourself!" Mammon snaps back.

"And you can't shout it from the rooftops for every demon in the Devildom to hear! Maybe I don't want Lucifer to know what I dream about. Or that I even have stress dreams. That doesn't change the workload, does it? And anyway, it's not a big deal, okay? It's just a random dream. If you paid any attention to your human studies, you would know that humans get weird dreams."

"But you don't feel safe." Mammon's voice was still rough with anger, but concern softened the edges. He was worried about you. 

"I don't need you to fight anyone to feel safe. I already feel safe with you. I mean, when you're not actively throwing yourself off a cliff that is." You gesture in a wide arc, still panting. 

"Really?" Mammon looked surprised, his anger evaporating. "You do? With me? I mean, you should, obviously. I'm the Great Mammon, after all."

"Yes, I feel safe with you." You repeat the words, taking the time to feel them out. They were true. Mammon made you feel safe and comfortable, like you could just be yourself, even in this world that was so different to everything you knew. He had become your anchor, holding you steady as life in the Devildom churned around you. "I mean, even in the dream... You didn't.. I mean, I don't know if I wanted you to, but... Well, the point is, yes, I feel safe with you." 

Of course, in your subconscious, the reason why Mammon didn't do anything was his fear of Lucifer. And maybe... deep down, you were afraid the only reason he did anything with you was because he had been told to....

"Mammon." The deep, overly pleasant voice of Lucifer sliced through the moment, drowning out any kind of tenderness the two of you might have been on the verge of. "My dear brother, I believe you had something you wanted to 'let me know'?"

You both turned around to see Lucifer standing just a few feet away. How had he gotten so close without you hearing? And so fast... You could feel the rage dripping off his words, and wondered if it was possible for Lucifer to create another Satan? He clearly still had anger to spare. 

"Yeah! I got somethin' to say!" Mammon turned towards Lucifer and if he felt any fear, it didn't show. 

You braced yourself, wondering what he would say, what Lucifer would do. Logically, Lucifer was the one who was always vaguely threatening you to keep up on your studies, and you were already stressed about doing well in any kind of school, so of course he would be the monster in the forest of your nightmares. But you would be mortified if he knew any of that!

"I'm in charge of lookin' after this human's needs, and you're puttin' too much pressure on them! Stress can kill a human! I looked it up!" Mammon had his hands on his hips as he made his proclamations.

"In a book?" You ask dumbly, trying to imagine Mammon in the library. 

Mammon glares at you from over his shoulder, before looking sideways, sheepishly, "I mean, Satan helped. But not a lot! He just gave me books on the topics I wanted. I did the readin'."

"What is your point, Mammon?" Lucifer's voice forced the topic back on point. 

"My point is humans are fragile! They get sick over nothin' and they ain't used to handling any of this. MC needs, gah, what is it called. I wrote it down." Mammon rifled through his pockets, pulling out several crumpled receipts. "Damn it. It's in here somewhere." Receipt papers went flying around him as he tried to find his notes. 

"Mammon..." Lucifer started to growl.

"Aha! Mental Health Days!" Mammon shouted, holding up the paper in one and pointing at Lucifer with the other. "That's what MC needs, and as the demon in charge of them, I want MC to be able take some days off of class, without gettin' hassled by the attendance imps."

"Mental health days?" Lucifer repeated slowly, giving you a considering look. "Are you feeling fatigued, MC?"

"Uhm... I mean, yes? But I can... I can handle it." You shrug, wanting the intensity of his eyes off of you. A shadow fell over you, and you looked up to find that Mammon had moved so he was between you and Lucifer now. 

"Perhaps your suggestion has some merit, Mammon." Lucifer sighed, but his voice hardened again in an instant, "You will be responsible for gathering their assignments for the day and helping them catch up on whatever they've missed."

"I know." Mammon nodded, feeling a victory within his grasp.

"And you'll be replacing the door to my bedroom. That material came from an ancient witch's bog and was made with petrified blood wood." 

You could feel the fight drain out of Mammon as he mentally calculated what it would cost to replace Lucifer's door. 

"I will expect a full report on your research as well. Lord Diavolo is quite interested in all things related to humanity and if we are to integrate further with the human world, I'm sure proper care of human mental health will be an important topic."

"A report?! Uggghhh!" Mammon groaned.

"And Mammon? While I admire this uncharacteristically zealous approach to your responsibilities, if you break into my room again, I will slather you in goat's blood and throw you to Cerberus for a chew toy. Understand?" The fake smile that only seemed to accent Lucifer's sadism and anger returned.

"Yes." Mammon looked at the ground

"Good. I hope your night is more peaceful, MC. If you continue to struggle, please don't hesitate to reach out to myself or Lord Diavolo. We are both invested in your success here at RAD."

"Thank you." You nod, but are fairly sure you're never going to take him up on that offer. It still made your heart race to think that you had barged in on some kind of private meeting between the two of them earlier. 

With that, Lucifer turned on his heels and left. It took a few minutes for the heaviness in the air to dissipate and in that time a new awkwardness had spread between you and Mammon. He hadn't told Lucifer about the dream, but this mental health stuff? He had that already on hand? How long had he been thinking about this? Had you been acting that weird for that long?

"Mammon?" You ask hesitantly, wondering if he was regretting doing all of this for you now.

"Let's go." Mammon reaches for your hand, but waits for you to complete the gesture.

"Where?" You reach for his hand, and the warmth and firmness of his grasp startles you. It feels like the first real thing you've touched all day. 

"Whattaya mean where? To dinner! Duh! You've got this dumb stress disease bad. See, I read about it. Humans forget to eat when they're stressed. Y'all just stop functioning, it's weird. Like there ain't enough things to kill ya up there." Mammon starts to walk, but he lets you set the pace, adjusting his stride to match. He leads you to a driveway, where a large ornate pentagram is emblazoned on the pavement. He says something to activate the symbol and it begins to glow red. Suddenly the Demonio 666 Lexura from his room appeared in the middle of the pentagram. Mammon walks around the side of the car and opens the door for you, "Get in."

Mammon takes you out to dinner at a quiet, but nice restaurant. Nothing too fancy, but it's comfortable, private. Your conversation wanders around the new found intimacy and affection that had bloomed between the two of you over the day's events, never quite addressing it head on. But you both knew things had changed. When the meal was over, neither of you felt like going back to the House, so Mammon took you on a car tour of the Devildom. It was really quite beautiful in its own way.

You don't know where you're going, and you don't really care. The smooth rumble of the car driving over the road soothed you. In the car, you could better smell the nuances of the sweet scent of his cologne and with him so close, with only the two of you here on an empty road, you felt utterly at peace. He talks to you softly, with no particular topic in mind - his latest photo shoot, life in the Devildom, what events are coming up at RAD. It doesn't matter. You start to drift off almost immediately, but his voice stays with you in your sleep, a lifeline to pull on if the darkness creeps back. But you don't really dream of anything, except you and Mammon, and this endless road.

You don't remember getting back to the House of Lamentation, or Mammon carrying you up the stairs to your room. You woke up briefly when he laid you down in your bed and pulled the blankets over you. Your hand caught his.

"Don't go..."

"I'll be back soon."

"No..." You moan softly, starting to fight your way back up out of the exhaustion.

"Go to sleep, MC. I'll stay with ya until your out again and I'll be back before you even wake up." Mammon rubs your temple with his free hand. He sits on the edge of the bed, and you scoot back drowsily to make room for him. He runs his fingers through your hair, and you fall asleep to the light pressure. You don't notice when he gets up, but the scent of him lingers around you. He took his jacket off and put it over your shoulders. There's nothing frightening in your dreams tonight.

Bonus:

You woke up the next day to Mammon again pounding on your door, threatening to break it down. You were beginning to suspect the man had some kind of vendetta against doors.

"MCCCCCCC!!! Wake up! I've got human stuff for you!"

Human stuff? Well that sounded suspicious. You warily get up out of bed and pull on a robe, before answering the door to what appears to be a sentient stack of boxes.

"Step aside, I gotta put these down!" Mammon grunts, motioning for you to move with a foot. You're mildly impressed that he can balance on one leg while holding all of that, and move back into the room. Mammon came in and set it down on the floor by the bed. He then began to separate the pile into smaller ones.

"What is all this?" You ask, bewildered as you approach the pile.

"Stuff humans need! Here's a lamp that's supposed to imitate your human sun." Mammon hands you a box. You can see now that it's a "happy light" used for people who live in areas that don't get enough sun, especially in winter. It was... strangely thoughtful. Seasonal affective disorder was a real condition, but how would he know that? "Here's some journals and books. Satan got those, I don't know what books are supposed to do for you, but he insisted they were important. Ah, this pile over here is from Asmo, who was talking about self-care, whatever that is. Just looks like a bunch of spa products to me. Probably shoppin' for himself, but don't let him have any of this, even if you don't want it. I paid for all of it."

"You did?" You were more embarrassed than surprised. He had done all this... for you?

"Yeah, I did! 'Course I did. You think the Great Mammon is going to scam gifts?" Mammon put his hands on his hips, looking up at you indignantly.

"To be fair, he did steal a pricing gun and was making his own discounts." Satan chimed in from the doorway.

"Satan! Don't go tellin' them that! Geez!" Mammon growled.

"Good morning!" Asmodeus appeared behind Satan and slipped by him through the door. He rushed over to the pile he had picked out and fell to his knees, as he went through it, pulling out several beautiful bottles from the boxes and setting them down in rows. "MC, have you already looked at my presents? Do you love them? Of course you do!"

"They're my presents, Asmo!" Mammon insisted, despite not knowing what half of them were. 

"Look, this is a whole skincare routine just for you! I know these will be perfect for you and your skin type! You're going to look even more radiant in just a couple days. Here are some bath bombs and oils, some lotions, here's a make-up palette that will look just phenomenal on you." Asmodeus continued to go through all of the elegant boxes in the stack, explaining what each box contained and what it was used for. 

"Hey! I paid for that! Stop taking credit for those things!" Mammon flailed at Asmodeus, who was completely ignoring him.

"I hope the books I picked out for you are helpful, MC. They're a mix of self-help and self-care books, along with some others I just thought you might like. Nothing is more relaxing than cozying up with a book." Satan had come further into the room and stood near the pile of books on the other side of you. 

"Mammon!!!" Rapid footsteps accompanied the loud shout, before Leviathan in his demonic form burst into the room, "Did you go to the human world without telling me?!"

"It wasn't a leisure trip, Levi!" Mammon whirled around to face Levi, putting his hands up defensively, watching the other man's tail whip dangerously back and forth behind him. 

"You knew I've been wanting to go the human world for ages!!! Why didn't you tell me?! Why didn't you bring me back anything?! You still owe me!"

"What's the commotion? You're all being too loud." Belphie appeared behind Levi. "Oh, MC, good morning. Beel and I were going to go get breakfast if you want to join us. I was recently made aware that Hell's Kitchen does an amazing breakfast burrito." Belphie gave Mammon a sideways glare, indicating that he had remembered being pulled out of bed, stuffed into a sleeping bag and handed off to his brother. 

"We're busy here, Belphie. MC isn't going out with you!" Mammon swiped his hand out in front of him, dismissing the invitation. 

"That's not your decision." Belphie glared at Mammon, his horns curling out of his head and his demonic form appeared.

"I just want to go eat." Beel stood at the doorway, frowning.

"Mammon! Don't you dare forget about me!" Levi stepped forward, his fists clenched.

"ALL OF YOU GET OUT IMMEDIATELY." Lucifer's voice boomed through the room, and even without his demon form, it was impressive. Everyone fell silent, but the tension in the room still radiated with demonic energy. "Mammon, you're the only one who can stay, and that's only if MC wants you to. You stated this was part of your research and I expect all of this to be in your report."

"Ah, yes, please. I don't know what all is here yet." You smiled nervously, still wondering how your morning had erupted into the writhing pit of chaos that felt only momentarily tamed by Lucifer. 

"Fine. The rest of you have to get ready for class. Mammon, you will be excused for first period only, due to your special project. If you're late for second period, we will have a meeting to discuss whether or not you can handle these extra responsibilities."

"I got it." Mammon nodded, watching his brothers leave with a smug smile. Lucifer was the last, closing the door behind him. 

"That was... a lot." Your ears were still ringing. 

"Sorry. I had asked Lucifer if I could go up to the human world to buy some stuff for you, you know like human stuff. To help. He said I couldn't go alone, and assigned Satan to go with me. Then Asmo busted in on the meeting, talkin' about how neither of us would have any idea what to buy for a human. Lucifer let us go on the condition that we not tell Levi, who has been petitioning him to go to the human world for like three months straight now. So yeah. Not sure what the hell Belphie's problem though."

You decide not to comment on that, even though you had a group text with the twins that laid out Mammon's scheme to get them to leave early yesterday. Belphie was complaining that Beel was too easily won over by food. Beel felt like it was a winning combo and didn't see the problem. Belphie got to sleep, Beel got to eat, and they got to be together. Maybe if Belphie wasn't still sleeping when Mammon handed him over, Beel would have done things differently. 

"Well." You look down at your hands, still holding the happy light, "I guess I'll set this up."

Weirdly, the light made you the happiest. It was thoughtful and practical, and neither Satan nor Asmodeus made any claims about the light. It seemed like Mammon had picked it out himself. 

"Hey. MC. Uh... I know Lucifer keeps talkin' about this special project and stuff, but that's the only way he would let me go. I didn't do any of this for your tasks, or anything, y'know. I just wanted... I mean I was hoping this stuff... it would make you happy." Mammon scratched at the back of his head, turned away from you slightly, but you could still see his eyes. 

"You make me happy, Mammon. You let me feel safe, and that gave me the space to feel happy again."

"You are safe, MC. I won't let anything happen to ya, ever."


	4. Belphegor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Chapter 19 and 20. 
> 
> Belphie says order is overrated, so here he is at number three. Maybe when I'm done I'll rearrange them.

Your anxiety has been through the roof since dreaming of vampires waiting to eat you at every turn. You've been able to play it off as stress over classes, but you knew that excuse was wearing thin. It's really only the excruciatingly blatant exhaustion in your eyes that gets you any slack (and a few under eye creams from Asmo). But you can't help it. Sleep is offering you no refuge; either abandoning you outright or filling your mind with fright, there isn't much you can do. Your restlessness brings you out after everyone has mostly gone to sleep. You knew all of the brothers were sporadic night owls, but without hearing any specific noises, you venture out of your room and walk to a nearby window. You can see the RAD garden below and in the clear sky, you can see stars. Or what you thought were stars. Strange how it felt so familiar, but still bewilderingly different. 

"Hey." A clear, calm voice called to you. You remember that voice from a dream, from what feels like a lifetime ago.

"Belphie." You look over to see him walking towards you, his trademark pillow tucked under his arm. You had seen him fall asleep in the most random places, so it made sense that he walked around with a pillow.

"What are you doing? Sleep walking?" He asks you as he stops an arm’s span away from you.

"No. Ah... just feeling restless." You look away, back out towards the window. 

"The view from your room finally getting boring? I get that."

You smile awkwardly, not at all comfortable with the joke. You still didn't understand the nuances of what had happened, and everyone was content to go on with life like nothing even did happen, but the fact remained that Belphie had been locked in a room for several months. The fact also remained that he had killed you (or a version of yourself? You weren't entirely clear on that either), but that was also something you and everyone else was ignoring. It really didn't make any sense at all that Belphie was the one you imagined protecting you from his brothers. 

But in his own way, he had tried to apologize. You realized with some help from his brothers that Belphie was going out of his way to talk to you and hang out with you. You weren't sure about him at first, but it was really Beel that changed your mind about Belphie. Beel had an unshakeable faith in Belphie and through him you got to witness some of the softer sides of Belphie. It took you awhile to realize that you were both using Beel as a kind of filter... or maybe a safety net. Either way, that didn't feel fair to Beel, so you made the decision to get to know Belphie by yourself, and although you were still feeling him out, your heart no longer stuttered to see him or be alone with him.

You realize that you had been standing in silence for a few moments now. "Ahhh... I.. I guess. You know the sun in the human world, it makes everything look different depending on the time of day. But here, when it's always dark, it always feels the same. It's easy to lose track of time."

"Is that why you've been spending so much time in your room lately?"

"No... it just feels.. safe." You knew it wasn't safe, not really, but you were clinging to your illusions lately and that one helped you sleep at night.

"I understand." Belphie nodded, his voice soft, almost confidential in the dim lighting of the hallway.

"Do you?" You ask suddenly, wondering how he could. His room had been his prison, how could it feel safe?

"Yes. You don't believe me?"

"It's just... your room... unless you mean the one you share with Beel?"

He smiles, just enough humor to keep the sadness from taking over. "Both. In different ways. Beel makes me feel safe from myself, my loneliness, my more self-destructive tendencies. We do that for each other, always have, even before becoming Avatars. But the attic... no one looks for me there, because, like you, they think that place is nothing but bad memories for me. But it's not, not anymore. Do you want to see?"

You've been in the attic before, but the way he invited you, it almost sounded like going to a different land. You nod and he smiles again, just a little warmer this time. You follow him through the House, moving quietly and quickly, taking advantage of the brief calm that seemed to be possessing its occupants. You start up the stairs, you remember the first time you went up them and what you found at the top. Belphie pushes open the door to the attic and the warm glow of candles draws you into the room. 

Most attics were dusty or vaguely reminiscent of old mold, but this one felt like a secret getaway. The curtains draped from the beams made it almost feel like a blanket fort, but there were other touches in the room that alluded to mysticism, even danger. The wall of weapons, partially hidden behind a curtain had never really caught your eye before, but that was how you had lived your life in the Devildom. Blissfully unaware of the danger - or purposefully ignoring it?

"Why do you still come up here?" You find a seat on a nearby chest, realizing there's really no other furniture besides the bed. 

"Is that strange? Choosing to relax in a place that was my prison?" Belphie cocked his head slightly, still smiling that distant and mysterious smile.

"Yeah. I mean, most people would feel traumatized..." You don't want to prod, but it feels like he's almost asking you to ask. 

"That's the difference between humans and demons, I suppose. You're all so fragile. It's not like I was tortured up here." Belphie shrugged. 

"But it was still solitary confinement..."

"Until you came."

"Just because you called me."

"I remember. I thought it couldn't be that easy to lure you up here." Belphie laughed slightly, but he was watching you too intensely, trying to feel out your reaction. 

"I guess it was pretty dumb." You look away. Traipsing through a demon house, traveling through forbidden areas with only your mortality to protect you was in hindsight an open invitation for death.

"No. It's because you cared, that's not such a bad thing. You made all of us start to care more, about you, about each other. Demons are selfish and self-absorbed by nature, it takes a lot of effort to look outside of ourselves and see each other. Those early days after we all fell... I really wasn't sure why we were still living together. The infamy that came with being angels who fell granted us titles and power in the Devildom, but all of that felt like being harnessed to a machine. The worst parts of ourselves became our powers, our obsessions. It felt like we were forgetting why we rebelled, just changing one master for another. But being with you, MC, brought a little bit of heaven back into our lives. You let us all know that even down here, we could still be family."

"I don't... I just feel so weak... I'm just a human, I don't feel like I did anything, that I can do anything here..." You stammer, trying to process the enormity of what he's saying. You don't feel like you did anything really at all, just sort of stumbled you're way through all of it.

"Just a human? You've been listening to Lucifer too much." Belphie shook his head, sliding his hand through your hair, rubbing it back and forth, "I hate to admit it... but I'm beginning to see the value of a human exchange program. Some humans, like you, have a way about you, a certain honesty that holds together your flaws and strengths in a perfect balance, allowing you to exist and feel everything so fully. Neither demon, nor angel, refusing the dichotomy and the inherent war of sides, how lucky to simply exist and control your fate." His hand trails down to your face, cupping the side of it. His touch is warm, soft, making you want to lean into him like a blanket right out of the dryer.

"It doesn't seem that way to me. I feel like food sometimes, like a soul waiting to be devoured." You sigh, pulling away, drawing back the cold shield of the caution that had kept you in your room so often lately.

"And what demon would dare to try to take your soul when you have pacts with the seven deadly sins?" He says it with a smile, but his teeth are showing too much for it to be pleasant. He takes a seat next to you on the chest.

"Maybe one of them." You say softly, looking at the floor as scenes from your dream played across your mind. 

"Not unless he wanted to be murdered by the rest of us." Belphie laughed, but you could feel the threat in the words. That underlying darkness never went away, like the dark circles under his eyes. Most of the time, you didn't even notice. But sometimes, like now, the shadows stood out starkly. 

"Even Lucifer?" You hesitate to ask, but your curiosity gets the better of you.

"Like half of us would even need the excuse." Belphie scoffed. 

"Really?" Your eyes widened, surprised. Was it that bad between them?

"Maybe." Belphie eased back with a smile that said you wouldn't be getting a true answer to that question. "My point is, no one's going to be eating your soul without literal hell to pay."

"I guess that's a relief."

"You don't have to lie. I know it's not. Human brains cling to their fears, you have to, being the fragile creatures that you are." Belphie smiled, tapping a finger against your head. 

"Thanks." You stare dryly at Belphie.

"That doesn't mean there's nothing we can do. Here." He slides off the chest and sits down cross-legged in front of you. He holds a hand out towards you. It takes a moment, but eventually you relent, sliding your hand into his, letting him draw you down to the floor.

You sit in front of Belphie, not on him, however inviting that looked, you still just wanted to find a way to sleep. Being close to him made you feel like you would have more weird dreams, not less. You feel a familiar needling pressure along your spine, as your anxiety starts to build.

"Breathe, MC. It's okay." Behind you, you can hear Belphie inhale slowly, almost painfully slowly, and then exhale.

Inhale.... Exhale....

Without thinking, you match the rhythm of your breath to his, and gradually, you can feel the edges soften around your anxiety. After awhile, Belphie starts to speak again.

"Tell me what's safe about your room?"

"How natural it is... the plants... the tree. It's surreal, but I feel like I'm living in a secret forest, like it's a place only for me."

"Does anything else live in the forest? Deers? Rabbits?"

"Mmm, yes. All sorts of things live in the forest. Like porcupines."

"Porcupines, huh? Does anyone bother them?"

"No. Porcupines can't be bothered." You smile to yourself, oh to be a porcupine, waddling through the forest, eating bark all night, before eventually returning to an underground burrow for the day. 

"What else lives in the forest?"

"Vampire...bats. Vampire bats." You falter and freeze, waiting for Belphie to call you out on the subject of your dreams.

"Do they bother you?" Belphie asked, his tone remaining even.

"Sometimes..."

"Vampire bats are small, less than the size of your hand. Can you imagine that? A vampire smaller than your hand. You could crush them easily." 

"I don't want to hurt anyone..." You trail off, but keep your eyes closed.

"Hmm... how about a bird cage?" Belphie starts to describe the cage, what it's made of, how big it is, how it can accommodate at least five pesky vampires.

Your mind begins to drift on the rhythm of his voice, as he takes your fears and pulls them apart, reshaping them into harmless stories. You could listen to him forever. You feel... safe. Better than safe, you feel at peace. He keeps talking, spinning more strange and vaguely silly tales about the porcupine and the vampire bats. You don’t remember when you lean back against him.

"We're going to stand now." Belphie says, placing his hands under your arms, lifting you to your feet slowly.

You feel like you're still in the forest. His voice is soothing, as he guides you to the bed. Once you feel the mattress press against your knees, instinct takes over and you slide onto the bed. Darkness presses in on your consciousness, but your mind rises out of the imaginary world Belphie crafted, missing his voice immediately.

"What if I have a bad dream?" You blink as a spike of fear drills into your chest, momentarily chasing away the peace. 

"If all else fails, I can put a sleep hex on you. I can pull you into a deep dreamless sleep for days." Belphie's calm, low voice softens the fear, drawing you back to the edge of sleep. You have a vague thought in your head that maybe that would be threatening, if it didn't sound so appealing. 

"Don't tempt me, demon." You laugh, feeling your eyes go heavy. "And don't do that. All my work would pile up, and I'm barely keeping on top of my classes as it is." You start to yawn and stretch out on the bed. It's so much more comfortable than your bed, although it seems pieced together with an assortment of blankets and pillows. Maybe the most comfortable ones? It sure feels that way.

"True. I wasn't shown a hint of mercy for the school work I missed while I was up here. All right, no sleep hexes. You look like you don't need it anyway." Belphie watches you drag the blanket over yourself, before you half-heartedly arrange the pillows behind you. 

"It's so... so soft..." You press the blanket against your cheek, giving up on the pillows. 

"Is it? Lucifer brought a bunch of bedding up here. I ripped a lot of it up, but he just kept bringing more. As a result, what's up here is a little random. I'm glad you like what managed to survive." Belphie walks around the side of the bed, moving the pillows so you don't get a kink in your neck from the awkward arrangement. You feel a relief from a pressure you hadn't realized was building. 

"I'm glad you like what managed to survive too." You smile lazily, hoping your gratitude is being conveyed. Words are starting to blend together.

He blinks at that before catching the joke that you had managed to survive him. The sound he makes is caught between a scoff and a laugh, surprised by the dark humor, "This place isn't good for you."

"I'm getting used to it." Your voice sounds distant even to yourself.

"You may have to stay, at least until we can repay you for what you've done for us."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing. Don't worry, MC. I'll watch over you and your dreams."

You wonder if you're already dreaming, but you swear you saw Belphie's eyes take on an ultraviolet sheen to them. You wonder if he's put a spell on you like he said, or if he's just threatening your subconscious into behaving itself. You wonder if he could help keep you safe from yourself, the way he and Beel did for each other. Wouldn't that be nice?

AN: I’m a sucker for those podcasts that talk you to sleep, and I think Belphie would be great at it, so that’s how this meandering story came about. 

(Hey, anon, hope I did your favorite character some justice. I feel like he's one of the more complicated characters, but being a sloth-type myself, I already gravitated towards him and really enjoyed his story. Writing him on the other hand... was harder. He has a lot of anger in him, but he also used to enjoy the human world a lot, and after resolving things with MC, I think his fondness might be growing back a little).


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